A healthy easy chocolate sauce recipe that you can make with 3 ingredients in 3 minutes. It is refined sugar free, and can be drizzled on ice cream or brownies, and used as a dip for fruit and cookies.
I'm always being asked for my chocolate sauce recipe, so I thought I'd write it down and share it. It's spectacularly easy, is just three ingredients and unlike store bought, my chocolate sauce is free of corn syrup, unwelcome additives and dairy. Add a few spoonfuls to homemade oat milk for the most deliciously rich chocolate milk.
Along with my other dessert sauce recipes such as my magic shell, I drizzle this easy homemade chocolate syrup on every thing from my chocolate blender ice cream, to my chocolate swiss roll, and even use it as a filling for my copycat milano cookies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Fast and easy. What do we need to make this chocolate sauce recipe? All you need is milk, maple syrup and cocoa powder. And it will take you less than 3 minutes from start to finish.
Easy to customize. If you use a thick creamy milk, such as full fat coconut milk or heavy creamy, you can thicken this sauce to the level of a hot fudge sauce. Or keep it thinner and lower in calorie with a milk with a lower percentage of fat. Extracts are easy to add to change the flavor, such as orange extract for chocolate orange sauce or mint extract for chocolate mint sauce.
Nutritious for a chocolate sauce. This sauce is made with healthier substitutes. The milk can be plant-based if you use full-fat coconut milk, or use heavy cream if your sauce does not have to be vegan or dairy-free. And the maple syrup is refined-sugar-free. Unsweetened cocoa powder has many nutritious benefits including disease-fighting antioxidants.
Ingredients
What do we need to make chocolate sauce? Just milk, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Here's more detail about each:
Milk. The higher the fat, the thicker the sauce. Use canned full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream for the thickest sauce. And oat milk or cashew milk for a runnier sauce.
Cocoa Powder. Use unsweetened. Dutch cocoa will make the sauce darker and milder. Use a high quality cocoa for better flavor.
Maple syrup. Needed for to sweeten. Add half the amount, stir and taste and decide if you need to add the second half.
Steps to Make
Step 1: Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir. If you want to reduce the sugar, hold back half the maple syrup and taste-test, adding in the rest only if needed. And toss in a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor.
Storage. Store the sauce in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 5 days. Do not freeze as condensation ruins the sauce.
Recipe Tips
1. Be sure the bowl and spoon you use to make the chocolate sauce are dry. Any residual water will turn the sauce grainy and into a seize. If this happens, microwave at 15 second intervals and stir.
2. If using canned coconut milk, be sure the can has been shaken so the fat and milks are not separated. If you open the can and see the fat has separated from the milk, set the can in a pot of boiling water and stir until the fat has melted and milk is combined.
3. The sauce can be warmed before serving. Microwave it at 15 second intervals until it is as warm as you want before serving.
How to Use
I use this chocolate sauce as a drizzle for ice cream and on brownies, as a dip for cookies, as a filling for other cookies, and as a dip for fruits.
Variations
The best way to flavor this sauce is without water-based options because water may seize the chocolate or make it grainy. That means using extracts.
Orange extract will create orange chocolate sauce.
Mint extract will create mint chocolate sauce.
Another option is to stir in instant coffee granules, to create a mocha chocolate sauce.
FAQS
Can this chocolate sauce be frozen?
Do not freeze this chocolate sauce as the chemical reaction to cold creates condensation which crystalizes and turns the sauce chunky.
What is chocolate sauce made of?
Homemade chocolate sauce is made of cocoa, maple syrup and milk. The higher the fat in the milk, the thicker your sauce.
Is chocolate sauce the same as chocolate syrup?
No, chocolate sauce is made with milk and stirred, whereas chocolate syrup is made with water and simmered to create a chemical reaction that produces a thicker, glossy texture.
What or how can I make chocolate syrup freeze on ice cream?
It's easy, just make a magic shell with this sauce and coconut oil. Here is my detailed recipe for healthy magic shell.
Ice Cream & Sauce Recipes
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📖 Recipe

Chocolate Sauce Recipe (3-Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon milk higher the fat, thicker the sauce
Instructions
Make Sauce
- Put all ingredients - except half the maple syrup - in a bowl, and whisk or hand-mix until smooth. Taste and decide if you need to add the rest of the maple syrup for flavor. And toss in a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor.3 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 3 tablespoon milk
Optional Customizations:
- For Mocha Chocolate Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon granular instant coffee
- For Orange/Ginger Chocolate Sauce: Add ½ teaspoon orange extract and a pinch of ground ginger
- Chocolate Mint Sauce: Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Storage
- Store the sauce in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 5 days. Do not freeze as condensation ruins the sauce.
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